A ceramic package for storing a device for an electronic component formed with a bottom, an opening, and an opening circumferential edge has been proposed and put into use. As a typical method for production of a conventional ceramic package, the method of pressing a ceramic powder composed of a powder of a ceramic, to which a binder has been added, in a mold having a desired shape, sintering the press formed body, then forming a conductor layer after the sintering is known (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2001-181023). As another conventional method of production of a ceramic package, a lamination method of pressing and heating a plurality of ceramic green sheets formed with holes, printed on, and formed with conductor layers so as to laminate them and then sintering the laminate is known (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 7-221454). On the other hand, a chip resistor comprises a ceramic substrate having two flat surfaces at the two ends, of which external electrodes are arranged, a resistor formed so as to bridge the electrodes and a protector covering the same. These are formed by printing and calcining.
However, production of ceramic packages by the powder pressing method of the prior art requires that the ceramic packages be individually pressed one by one by a press and be sintered together with the ceramic powder and that the ceramic powder adhering to the ceramic packages be removed. Recently, when production of ceramic packages having a size of 4 mm square or less is required, there has been the problem that the work efficiency has been extremely poor and the cost becomes high. Further, the formation of a conductor layer on a package with step differences has the problem of requiring individual packages to be processed, and therefore, the work efficiency is an extremely poor. Note that, in the powder pressing method of the prior art as well, sometimes a large number of packages are handled, but due to the brittleness, when handling thin sheets, a sheet size of about 1 inch square is the limit and the work efficiency is poor. The lamination method of the prior art laminates sheets, and therefore, the work efficiency would appear, at first glance, to be good, but since it is necessary to punch holes in, print on, and form conductor layers on the individual green sheets and laminate a plurality of the ceramic green sheets at, for example, 150° C. for about 120 minutes by a vacuum lamination system, there is the problem that the work efficiency is extremely poor and the cost is high. Further, the ceramic green sheets using conventional binders have elasticity and lack plasticity, and therefore it was not possible to form relief shapes into the desired shapes by a press at all times.
Further, the chip resistor produced by the conventional method ended up with a raised surface due to the formation of the external electrodes at the two ends and the resistor and protector, and therefore, there is the problem that flatness is lost and inconveniences easily occur at the time of mounting.
Further, the conventional method for producing a chip resistor has the problem that the step of forming the external electrodes at the two ends is troublesome and the cost is accordingly increased it.